Nonrefillable bottle



Jan. 28, 1941. F. R. LUECK NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Filed Feb.- 18,1937

I INVENTOR. FranK R.Lueck A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES Z,23il,l17

PATENT "OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to nonrefillable bottles. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, yet highly effective, at-

tachment which may be readily applied to bottles and the like to render the same substantially proof against refilling.

Another object is to provide an improved attachment' for bottles capable of rendering the bottle substantially proof against refilling without interfering with adequate discharge of liquid therefrom.

Another object is to provide a nonrefillable attachment for bottles which will regulate and control the discharge from the bottle in a manner to facilitate pouring.

Another object is to provide a nonrefillable attachment for bottles which shall be. proof against undetectable tampering.

Other more specific objects and. advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is an axial sectional view on an enlarged scale of a nonrefillable attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown applied to the neck of a conventional bottle.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of parts when the bottle is tilted into position for pouring.

The attachment selected for illustration comprises a substantially cylindrical housing I9,

The port I2 is normally closed by an appropriate valve I6 which normally seats upon the bottom l3 of the housing. For purposes which will hereinafter appear, the valve I6 is of light weight to render it buoyant in the type of liquid normally contained in the bottle. In this instance the valve comprises a piece of cork preferably of cylindrical form having its fiat top and cylindrical side surfaces covered by a thinwalled cartridge ll, preferably of metal, tightly fitted thereover. the cork is ideally suited to seal the port I2 by coaction with the fiat seat I3, while the metallic cartridge Il provides smooth, hard, wear-resistadapted for insertion into the neck I I of a bottle, I

The exposed lower face I8 of ing surfaces ideally suited to coact with guide ribs I9 and with a counterweight or ball 20 hereinafter again referred to.

The ribs I9 are preferably shaped so that each presents a narrow, smooth, vertically extended surface to the valve I6 and they are so spaced that they together form a loosely fitting guideway for directing the valve toward and from its seat. The guides I9 are preferably stamped in the walls of the housing I0 and are preferably spaced from the valve seat I3 so as to provide a clear space extending continuously about the valve and its seat.

The valve I6 is forcibly retained against its seat I3 by gravity and particularly by a heavy member, such as a ball 20 preferably of nonmagnetic material, which normally rests against the top fiat surface of the valve substantially at its center. An appropriate ball retainer is provided which functions to limit lateral displacement of the ball 20 so as to keep the ball spaced from the housing walls and near the center of the valve I6 in all positions of the bottle, and which also functions to maintain a closing pressure of the ball against the valve except when the bottle is tilted through a predetermined angle beyond the horizontal into pouring position, in which position the ball is permitted to retract by gravity in a direction to permit the valve to open.

Although a ball retainer capable of functioning in the manner described may assume various forms, that shown comprises a sheet metal disk 2|, disposed to span the housing above and adjacent the ball, and fashioned to provide a central shallow pocket or recess 22 into which the ball 20 projects in all positions of the bottle. The continuous rim 23 of the recess serves to limit lateral displacement of the ball and, when the bottle is tilted, provides a shoulder or fulcrum on which the ball is free to rock out of or into pressure contact with the valve when the bottle is tilted into or out of pouring position.

In order to insure prompt and proper action of the ball 20 under all conditions, movement of the ball into the recess 22 is limited so that the center of gravity of the ball is maintained between the plane of the rim or fulcrum 23 and the valve I6. Although this limiting position may be determined by the size or diameter of the rim 23, the back 2d of the recess performs that function in the device shown, the diameter of the rim 23 being preferably such as to clear the ball slightly when the latter is seated against the back wall it, thereby to avoid a seal between the ball and rim and thus avoid any tendency of the ball to stick in the recess.

In this instance the disk 2! is supported by a down-turned peripheral flange 25 which rests upon the shoulder l4 and which is centered by the flange l5. The disk 2! is preferably dished, as indicated, and provided with a peripheral series of openings 26 disposed adjacent the flange 25 directly over the shoulder M.

The disk 2| is covered by an appropriate hood which constitutes in effect a continuation of the housing ID. The hood shown comprises a cylindrical portion 21 surrounding the housing flange l5, a shoulder 28 for positioning and retaining the disk 2! and its flange 25, and aninwardly tapered or arched portion 29 which terminates in a central flanged outlet or pouring spout 38'.

The housing flange I5 is tightly fitted 'in' theihood' portion 21 so as to retain the parts in assembled. relation and thereby provide an assembly which may be applied, as to unit, to the bottleneck.

It-will be noted that the disposition of the holes 26 adjacent the flange 25 provides a ready outlet for liquid from the bottle, permitting the: liquid to follow anatural course along the sides: of the housing IE3 and hood, free from damming or other restraint; The-fact, however, that the holes 26 are disposed laterally fromthe spout so and directly above the shoulder M renders it rather impossible to project a wireor' other tool through 'the holes 26 and past the shoulder Hi into position for tampering with the valve It.

As an additional precautionary measure against tampering an additional shield3l may be interposed between the ball retainer and hood. The

shield shown comprises a woven wire screen having its marginal portion 32 anchored by andbetween the shoulder 28 and the flange Mind having its central portion arched to accommodate It has been found that a thirty mesh screen, mountedin the manner described, provides an efiective barrier against tampering and at the same time permits liquid from the bottle to discharge freely therethrough, if vented to admit air to the bottle. In this-instance, vent holes 33 are formed in the screen, preferably spaced. inwardly from the holes 26, and internal ribs 34 formed in the hood insure spacingof the screen therefrom so as. to assure adequate ventring.

The unit may be permanently afilxed to. the bottle H in various ways but, in this instance, the hood is provided with a depending flange or skirt 35 adapted for external application over and about the neck of the bottle and'adapted to be permanently interlockedwith the neck by spinning or rolling the same into an appropriate rib-and-groove formation 36 on the neck. By this method of attachment, removal of the unit is very diflicult, and removal and replacement without detection is virtually impossible. The unit is applied of course after the bottle is filled.

Any appropriate gasket 31 or gasket material" may be employed to seal the joint between the unit and bottle, and the bottle may be closed by a cork or the like placed in the spout 30.

The device shown and described not only renders the bottle proof against non-detectable refilling, but it also serves to facilitate pouring.

It will be noted that, as the bottle is tilted, for

purposes of pouring, from the'upright position of Fig. 1 through a horizontal position and towardthe inclined position of Fig. 3, the valve I5 is retained closed by the weight of the ball 23. Throughout this range of angular positions of the bottle, the ball 20 remains in the dotted line position of Fig. 3, resting upon its fulcrum 23 which its center of gravity between the fulcrum and valve I6, so that its weight maintains a closing pressure on the valve.

This condition maintains until the bottle is so tilted as to cause the center of gravity of the ball 20, contained in the axis a::c, to pass beyond the vertical plane of the line yy passing through the fulcrum 23, and when that occurs the ballrocks into. the'recess 22 in a direction away from the valve I6 so as to permit the valve to open. Discharge from the bottle is thus prevented until the bottle has been tilted into a position convenient for pouring, and when pouring does-occur it is not excessive, because the rate of discharge is governed by the extent to which the valve hasopened and, in this instance, the. ball 20 limits the opening movement. It will also be noted that when the bottle is returned from pouring: position toward a horizoncal position, the? center of gravity of. the ball passes back: through the vertical: plane 31-41, whereuponthe'ball rocks onitsfulcrum 23 in a direction totagain promptly close the valve and thereby surely and promptly cut; off discharge fromv the bottle. Objectionable after-flow following actual pouring is thus prevented;

It. will also. be noted that since the ball 20 ismaintainedl' in a substantially central position relative to the valve I6, and since the'coactingtop surface of the valve.is' substantially flat, the closing pressure exer-ted by the ballagainst the valve is'in a-direction parallel to and adjacent the central axis of the valve, so that there is no tendency for the valve to rock or cant in its guidewa'y;

It will also be. notedthat since, as above pointed out, the valve l fi'i's retained in closed position-by the. ball 20 in all angular positions of the bottle throughout that range between the upright position of Fig. 1- andtlie downwardly shield onscreen-31, the position of the holes 26' and 3 3,' andthe shoulder l4 combine to render the device substantially tamper proof. In" this connection it will be noted" that the: shield'for screen 3| is visible-through'theoutlet 30so that, any mutilation thereof'in an'elfort to gain access to the holes 26" in the disk'2l'may be readily detected. Various 1 changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from'or sacrificing the advantages ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

I'claim:

1. A nonrefillabie attachment for bottles c'omprising a ported housing having a. peripheral shoulder, a buoyant valve moveabl'e in said. housing, below 'said' shoulder for controlling? passage of liquid therethr'ough', a relatively heavy ball normally resting on-said valve, a member spanning said'housing and'coacting with said ball to 'Ihebottle is" proof maintain a closing pressure on said valve except when the bottle is tilted substantially beyond a horizontal position, said member having a peripheral series of openings disposed directly over said shoulder, and means spaced above and covering said openings and forming an outlet spaced inwardly from said openings.

2. A nonrefillable attachment for bottles comprising a housing having a port at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end, said housing also having an enlarged portion forming a shoulder intermediate its ends, a member spanning the enlarged portion of said housing and having a peripheral series of openings disposed directly above said shoulder, valve means disposed below said member and cooperating with said port to control passage of liquid through said housing, and means spaced above and covering said openmgs.

3. A no-nrefillable attachment for bottles comprising a housing having a port at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end, said housing also having an enlarged portion forming a shoulder intermediate its ends, a member spanning the enlarged portion of said housing and having a peripheral series of openings disposed directly above said shoulder, a woven wire screen spanning said housing adjacent said member, and valve means below said member cooperating with said port to control passage .of liquid through said housing.

4. A nonrefillable attachment for bottles comprising a housing having a port at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end, a woven wire screen spanning said housing intermediate the ends thereof and vented to admit air through said housing when said screen is clogged by liquid, and Valve means below said screen and cooperating with said port to control passage of liquid through said housing.

FRANK R. LUECK. 

